


we'll make it feel good to feel bad

by rummyjoe



Category: Marvel Avengers Movies Universe, The Avengers (2012), The Avengers - All Fandoms
Genre: Gen, fanilow, manilow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-31
Updated: 2012-08-31
Packaged: 2017-11-13 05:40:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/500101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rummyjoe/pseuds/rummyjoe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><em>Steve was getting tired of Tony's idea of "Musical Education". He knew Tony was purposely giving him bad music just to torture his ears. Steve still listened to all of it, though: psychedelic rock, thrash, disco, television jingles, everything, just because he was so intent on catching up on the world he'd missed.</em><br/>_____</p>
<p>written for <a href="http://avengerkink.livejournal.com/9218.html?thread=19380482#t19380482">an avengerkink prompt</a> <span class="small">(full prompt at link)</span>:  <em>something with Barry Manilow ... Anything goes here - crack, serious, fluff, angst, gen to full porn. As long as Barry and/or his music are somehow prominently featured. ... My only request is NO BARRY BASHING! </em></p>
<p>This is 620 words of fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	we'll make it feel good to feel bad

Steve was getting tired of Tony's idea of "Musical Education". He knew Tony was purposely giving him bad music just to torture his ears. Steve still listened to all of it, though: psychedelic rock, thrash, disco, television jingles, everything, just because he was so intent on catching up on the world he'd missed.

One day when Steve was working out in the gym, a song caught his ear and made him pause his sit-ups to listen. The music was melancholy but beautiful, and the lyrics were relevant to him, moving. He was so caught up in the song that he didn't notice when Clint and Tony walked through the door.

"Oh my GOD, Rogers. _Manilow? Really?!_ "

 

Clint and Tony continued to tease Steve about the music over the next few weeks, determined to bring it up at every opportunity. Steve thought Mr. Manilow's songs were kinda pretty, and he didn't understand why they thought Steve should be embarrassed for enjoying it.

\--------

The briefing was coming to an end. Clint, Tony, and Steve were left sitting at various places around the conference table. Fury was telling them off for something Tony did not consider important enough to pay attention to, until the words, "Don't let it happen again, Stark!" came out of his mouth.

"Hey, it wasn't my fault!" Tony protested. He was pretty sure it wasn't. Unless Fury had been talking about that thing with...oh, well, in for a penny and all that. "If it wasn't for Captain Fanilow deciding to--"

"You have something to say about Mr. Manilow?" Fury cut him off mid-deflection. "Barry Manilow is one of the most talented motherfuckers ever to record music," he took his wallet in hand and pulled a card out, "and I _know_ you are not going to sit there and try to make fun of Steve Rogers by calling him a Fanilow as if there is something wrong with being one." He slapped the card on the table in front of Tony and Clint.

The card was worn around the edges, old, and the acronym BMIFC was inscribed on it in large gold-leaf letters, with _Nicholas J. Fury_ and a very low, obviously early-issue membership number inscribed in the corner in a smaller gold-toned font.

"No, sir!" Clint replied quickly, clapping a hand over Tony's mouth. "We wouldn't dream of it."

"I didn't think so." Fury placed the card back into his wallet and turned to Steve. "Captain Rogers, has anyone given you a copy of Swing Street yet? I think you would particularly enjoy that album."

"No, sir," Steve said, casting an uneasy glance at Tony, who was struggling to free himself, and Clint, whose hand was surprisingly holding fast. ("It's not worth it, Tony," he hissed. "Trust me. You'll be stuck doing post-mission reports for a year!")

"I'm not surprised. It's a severely underrated album. I have it on vinyl; only way to hear it." Fury moved out from behind the conference table and started walking toward the door. "Stop by my office when you take your lunch, we can listen to it. I have a few old Johnny Mercer 78s, too, if you're interested."

"Johnny Mercer? Oh, sure, I'd love to!" Steve beamed happily. It was rare for him to find someone who enjoyed artists he'd heard of when he was younger.

Tony leaned over and started banging his head on the table, Clint's hand still firmly affixed to his mouth.

Fury ignored the two of them as he walked past, and he started singing with a surprisingly lovely voice as he left the room.

 

_I should be over it now I know_  
_It doesn't matter much_  
_How old I grow_  
_I hate to see October go_

\--------

**Author's Note:**

> Title is a lyric from "Paradise Cafe", which is also the song Steve hears in the gym.
> 
> Fury is singing "When October Goes" which is a Johnny Mercer lyric set to music by Barry Manilow.
> 
> You should hit youtube and listen to both songs - they're gorgeous.
> 
> I'm not a fanilow (though I enjoyed some of Barry's music when I was a kid), so I have no idea if the BMIFC cards have names or membership numbers on them, or if they ever have. A couple of google image searches didn't turn up very many helpful results, so I made something up. (True Story: The Google image search for "manilow fan club membership card" has a KISS Army patch/logo right in the middle of it, and that cracked me the hell up for some unknown reason.)
> 
> Steve thinks Barry's songs are "kinda pretty" because that was Angel's reason for singing Mandy in "Judgement", the misspelled title of Season 2, Episode 1 of Angel.
> 
> I have too many notes for such a short fic.


End file.
